This afternoon around 1400 PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II got underway from Dobbin's Landing and headed out into Lake Erie. The rest of the tall ships followed PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II out, and the ships proceeded to line up behind U.S. Brig NIAGARA. NIAGARA led the parade inbound beginning at 1600, escorted by the Erie Power Squadron and local law enforcement. A surprise visitor to the rear of the parade was Coast Guard Cutter MORRO BAY (WTGB-106), which just visited Erie last week.
Of note, ST. LAWRENCE II did not make the parade due to weather on Lake Erie delaying the vessel in Port Colborne, Ontario yesterday. ST. LAWRENCE II is upbound on Lake Erie at this time, expected at Long Point at 2300, and should arrive Erie sometime tonight.
PEACEMAKER, STV UNICORN, NIAGARA, and SØRLANDET are docked at the Convention Center and expected to be joined by ST. LAWRENCE II. PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II and LYNX are at the Erie Maritime Museum, and FRIENDS GOOD WILL, APPLEDORE IV and HINDU are docked at Dobbin's Landing to conduct day sails over the weekend. MORRO BAY is moored on the north face of Dobbin's Landing. The tall ships are docked and open for tours this weekend. Visit Tall Ships Erie's website for more information on tickets and a schedule of events.
PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II outbound.
Stern view of the ship, commanded by an Erie native.
LYNX follows the PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II.
Stern view of the LYNX. Note the huge American flag flying.
NIAGARA passes the crowd on the South Pier.
Stern view of the NIAGARA.
PEACEMAKER departing.
Stern view of PEACEMAKER.
Two vessels originally built in Erie, ENVIRONAUT and LADY KATE, meet in the channel.
Slowly making her way through the channel, APPLEDORE IV prepares to head out and fall into line.
APPLEDORE IV heads out of the piers under full sail.
FRIENDS GOOD WILL departs.
Stern view.
HINDU outbound following FRIENDS GOOD WILL.
Stern view.
NIAGARA leads the parade into the channel.
Side view of the 1988-built NIAGARA.
Stern view.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire's 2004-built LYNX follows the NIAGARA inbound.
Stern view.
PRIDE OF BALTIMORE is the third ship in the parade.
1988-built PRIDE OF BALTIMORE is the flagship of Maryland and homeported in Baltimore.
PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II fires a cannon shot at the North Pier while inbound.
FRIENDS GOOD WILL, of South Haven, Michigan, is the next ship in the parade.
The 2004-built topsail sloop fires a cannon while passing through the channel.
The small schooner HINDU, built in 1925 and homeported part of the year in Provincetown, MA and part of the year in Key West, follows FRIENDS GOOD WILL inbound.
Stern view of HINDU.
STV UNICORN, built in 1947, follows HINDU inbound.
Stern view of UNICORN. Crewed by an all-female crew, the gaff-rigged topsail schooner calls Bridgeport, Connecticut home.
PEACEMAKER is the next ship in the parade.
Side view of the 1989-built barquentine.
PEACEMAKER, of Brunswick, Georgia, has an interesting history, having been built in Brazil by Italian boatbuilders.
APPLEDORE IV inbound. The vessel was built in 1989.
APPLEDORE IV hails from Bay City, Michigan.
Stern view.
1927-built SØRLANDET, the oldest full-rigged ship still in operation, is the last of the tall ships in the parade.
Close up of the only sailing ship in the parade to not be under sail. SØRLANDET is homeported in Kristiansand, Norway.
Stern view of SØRLANDET.
MORRO BAY brings up the rear of the flotilla.
Close up of MORRO BAY. At one point last year there was talk of a Navy frigate attending the ceremonies; however due to the budget sequester that didn't happen this year.
East Erie County Fire/Rescue Marine 1 inbound following the MORRO BAY.
Lakeshore Fire/Rescue 509 following the MORRO BAY inbound.
Stern view.
UNICORN, PEACEMAKER and NIAGARA at the Convention Center this evening.
APPLEDORE IV and MORRO BAY at dock.
